IPL 2017 Player Battles: Top 4 player encounters to look for in the Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders match
It promises to be a Super Sunday for the people of Mumbai as the Wankhede Stadium gears up for its first match of IPL 2017 with Mumbai Indians playing host to Kolkata Knight Riders.
The two heavyweights of the tournament started the tenth edition in contrasting fashion as the Mumbai Indians failed to defend 184 against the Rising Pune Supergiant. The Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, thrashed the Gujarat Lions in their own den by chasing 184 runs in just 15 overs, courtesy a record-breaking opening partnership between Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn.
Extra Cover: IPL 2017 KKR vs MI: Mumbai Indians (MI) Today's probable playing 11 against Kolkata Knight Riders
In the 18 matches played through the nine editions, Mumbai Indians have registered 13 wins while the Knight Riders have managed only 5. The boys from Mumbai will be itching to bounce back from their defeat in the opening match and can take some solace from the statistics. The Knight Riders, on the other hand, will be looking to continue the good work from their opening game and turn the stats in their favour on Sunday.
Take a look at the four key head-to-head player battles in this all important game:
#1 Chris Lynn vs Lasith Malinga
Chris Lynn, the Australian batting sensation was the Man of the Match in the opening game for the Knight Riders. The only way Lynn is expected to play in this tournament is going hammer and tongs against the opposition bowlers. He made his intentions very clear in the opening match as he smashed the Gujarat bowlers all around the park and announced himself on the big stage.
The most experienced bowler in the Mumbai Indians setup, Lasith Malinga, is all set to be back for the all important encounter. Having missed the first match due to national duties, he will be eager to shoulder the bowling responsibilities for his franchise. He picked up a hat-trick in the last match against Bangladesh and will be riding high on confidence.
A high back lift and baseball like swing allows Lynn to hit mighty strokes against the fast bowlers but it will be difficult for him to execute the same against Malinga due to his slingy action. A variety of tricks up his sleeve, he will be the key for Mumbai Indians to counter the Lynn threat. Lynn, on the other hand, with his experience of Big Bash and T-20 cricket from around the world, will surely find a way to counter the toe-crushing yorkers and slower deliveries.
It will be an interesting battle between the most experienced bowler in T20 cricket and the most exciting batsman in the shortest format.